The easiest way to keep up with blog posts – Blogtrottr

The easiest way to keep up with blog posts – Blogtrottr

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If you’re anything like me, you will have a large network of blogs you read either regularly or occasionally. I love following other people’s blogs as it gives an insight into the different parts of the journey to Financial Independence while providing a wealth of tried and tested methods to achieve it.  Sometimes however it can be difficult to keep up with multiple blogs, especially if you’re using the old fashioned Bookmarking method. Back when I first started reading blogs…

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September 2015 Income/Expenses

September 2015 Income/Expenses

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It’s payday today which means time for this month’s Income/Expenses! I think it’s important to keep track of your income/expenses every month as it allows you to spot trends and areas for improvement. I find it really useful to track the spending changes each month, and really motivating to see the networth improvements. Sometimes it can seem like financial independence is so far away, but by watching your networth steadily increasing you’ll know you will reach that point eventually. I’ve…

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The opportunity costs of Sharesave

The opportunity costs of Sharesave

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I’ve been at my new job for almost a year now which makes me eligible to join the company’s Sharesave scheme. At my previous company I signed up immediately and began pumping the maximum contribution amount (£250) in each month blindly following the ‘one-way bet’ mentality of most towards Sharesave right up until the share price crashed and the company was de-listed from the market. Granted; I got my 3 years worth of contributions back as a lump sum however…

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Guest post – My Secure Route to Early Retirement

Guest post – My Secure Route to Early Retirement

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I was recently contacted to see if I’d be willing to host a guest post. Normally I decline offers of posts which are quite US focused, however I thought this one might be of interest to people on both sides of the pond as it focuses on investment in precious metals. I’ll admit; this isnt an area I’m particularly familiar with and I don’t currently hold any investment in physical assets.. however I appreciate that it is widely held by…

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You don’t get rich by spending

You don’t get rich by spending

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Last night I finally got round to watching the 2nd part of Britain’s Spending Secrets. I’ve previously spoke about some of the themes of the 1st part of this insightful documentary which went into details on how people prioritised their spending and the infamous ‘middle class’ family who almost starved to death just so their 2 children could go to private school. The 2nd part however focused much more on the amounts people spent rather than specifically what they spent…

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Learning Personal Finance is like learning to swim

Learning Personal Finance is like learning to swim

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I was recently talking with a friend who mentioned that he used to be “Drowning in debt”. It’s a commonly used phrase and a situation that I’m sure everyone is familiar with; you’re kicking and struggling against the rising tides of debt until eventually you take a last gulp before being totally covered in water. In a way, alot of financial knowledge and the state you find yourself in can be related to learning to sink or swim through your…

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August 2015 Income/Expenses

August 2015 Income/Expenses

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Last month’s report is slightly late as I’ve just returned from a fantastic trip away to visit family in France. The weather was beautiful and the wine less than £2 a bottle! we stayed in one of my parent’s gites with a private pool right outside. Amazing what you can buy in another country for a price which wouldnt even get you a studio flat here in the South East.   On to the Income/Expenses! I think it’s important to…

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EarlyRetirementGuy Takes A Break

EarlyRetirementGuy Takes A Break

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With the stock markets all over the place and the British weather firmly miserable, the time has come for ERG to take a much needed holiday. We’re flying off to France tomorrow to stay with my parents, enjoy alot of (cheap yet excellent) wine and hopefully some sun shine! This will mean though that there will be no new posts or Income/Expenses report until we’re back 2nd week of September. Hope everyone has a fantastic bank holiday weekend and enjoys…

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Things I’m not frugal on

Things I’m not frugal on

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I’m sure by now all of us reading this will know that the true key to saving money and expanding your investments is to become frugal with your spending habits. There was an excellent program on BBC1 last night; Britain’s Spending Secrets which examined the spending habits of families right across the wealth spectrum and tried to give an insight into how they prioritised their spending. As you might expect, it began with the single mother on benefits who refused…

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The EarlyRetirementGuy 1st annual accounts

The EarlyRetirementGuy 1st annual accounts

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It’s been just over a year since I started tracking my journey to early retirement and with it a comprehensive log of all income/expenses and networth gains. Because of this, I am for the first time calculate with some accuracy how much we currently spend each year and what sort of networth pattern has emerged. I’m sure you’re all sick of reading through the bombardment of annual expenses posts people put up in January so perhaps this nicely spreads things…

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